Sealing device for cash-registers



(No Model.) H

. J. 0. B-YRNS. SEALING DEVICE FOR CASH REGISTERS.

No. 530,924. Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

Q E as a; 5

THE NORRIS PETERS no PNOYO-LITNQ. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES OLIVER BYRN S, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

SEALING DEVICE FOR CASH-REGISTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,924, dated December 18, 1 894.

Application filed February 6, 1894. Serial No. 499,284. (No model.) I

Paul, in the county of Ramsey and Stateof Minnesota, have invented c'ertain new and useful Improvements in Sealing Devices for Gash-Registers; and I do hereby declare-that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in sealing devices for cash registers.

The invention consists of such features, details, and combinations of parts, as will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is.

a plan view'of the sealing mechanism. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line -3-3, Fig. 2, looking inthe direction of the arrow.

an end-piece, a and a half-lid, a preferably of wood. This case is also provided on its bottom with a base-frame, B, having rubber pads, b, which are inserted in holes bored in the frame, one at each corner, and serve to prevent the apparatus from scarring or defacing the desk or counter on which itis placed, as will be fully understood from the drawings. The box or case, A, overhangs the frame at one end, as shown, and has a metal plate, 0, screwed to its under side at the overhanging end, the plate having two lugs, c,

which project beyond the end of the box, for

a purpose hereinafter described.

Near the center of the box, in its interior, is fixed a transverse plate, D, carrying, at each end, a pair of upright posts or standards, d, which are arranged to receive a partition plate, E, that is removably inserted between the standards, d, thereby dividing the box into two compartments,,1 and 2, the former being designated as the deposit com partment, while the latter may be termed the seal compartment. The half -'li'd,"a

covers the deposit compartment, 1, and is pro= will be hereinafter stated. To the under side of the half-lid, a just'inside the projecting plate, F, are placed two stop-blocks, f, one on each side of the gap or notch, f.

The seal compartment is covered by a plate, G, of heavy glass, which rests on hearingplates, h, secured to the top edge of bearingblocks, H, which are attached to the side, a, of the box.

To the outer edge of each bearing-block, H, is secured an outward-projecting threaded stud, h, thesestuds being arranged to pass through holes, 1', in a removable end-plate, I, which rests with its lower edge upon the top surfaces of the projecting lugs, c, this plate of the latter, when the end-plate is in its normal or locked position. I

To the bottom of the seal-compartment, 2, are fixed two transverse supporting-plates,

K, K, the former, K, having two vertical studs, lo, arranged to enter holes, in a baseplate,L, which rests on the supporting-plates, K, K, the studs, is, serving to prevent longitudinal or lateral shifting of the base-plate, yet permitting it to be removed by merely lifting it up until the studs, 1c, are freed from the holes, whereupon the said base-plate, L, may be withdrawn from the seal-compartment. The base-plate carries, at its inner end, a standard, Z, from which projects an outwardextending guide-rod, 2*, on which moves, freely, a sliding block, M, the top of which has an overhanging outer end, m, and a pin, m, at its inner end, which pin passes through a hole in the standard, Z, and through a hole, in a swinging arm, N, pivoted to the standard, by a thumb-screw, n, which is threaded onto the said standard, the arm, N, having a book,

71. at its upper end. The top ofthe slidingfixed clamp-blocks, 0, attached to the base- ICO plate, L, in any suitable manner, and pro vided with overhanging inward-projecting lips or edges, 0, which do not extend the full length of the fixed blocks, whereby a larger space is left between the inner edges of the fixed clamp-blocks, at 0, than between the overhanging lips, 0, as will be plain from the drawings. To each fixed clamp-block is secured a guide-staple, P, one of the legs of each staple being longer than the other and inserted in a hole in the inner end of the fixed clamp-block, where it is retained by a pin, as shown at p. The short leg, 19', does not ex tend entirely down to the top of the fixed clamp-block, and is threaded to receive a thumb-nut, 13 On each staple, P, below the thumb-nut, 19 is placed a movable clampblock, R, which has two holes through which the [legs, 19 and 19, pass, the movable clampblocks, B, being held into contact with the fixed clamp-blocks, 0, when the thumb-nuts, 12 are screwed down.

To the inside face of the end-plate, I, is attached an inward-projecting lug, 1?, in which is pivoted an arm, '5 carrying a downwardextending rod, i whose lower end is provided with a transverse pin, '5 When the endplate, I, is in its closed position, the rod, 2', and pin, 2' normally rest in the space at 0.

The outer face of the end-' plate, I, is provided with a handle, 2'", by which it may be withdrawn.

To the inside of one of the side pieces, a,

is attached a hook, S, arranged so as to be in line with the hook, 17. on the swinging arm, N, a rubber band, 8, connecting the two hooks.

The manner of setting my device is as follows: The partition plate, E, is put in place between the standards, cl, and a slip of paper cut from any old newspaper or other printed matter, is inserted with its two ends between the movable and the fixed clampingblocks, in which position it is held firmly, by screwing down the thumb-nuts,p Such a slip of paper is shown in dotted lines at T, Fig. 2. The base-plate, L, and its attached parts are then placed in the seal-compartment, with the studs, 0, projecting into the holes, Z. The sliding-block, M, is pushed backward until it contacts with the standard, Z, its pin, m, passing through the hole, in the standard, and through the hole in the swinging arm, N. The hooks, a and S, are connected by the rubber band, 8, and the glass plate, G, put in place. The arm, 2' pivoted to the end-plate, I, is swung upward, whereupon the end-plate is put into its normal position, and fastened by the thumb-nuts, 7L2. It, now, the case be jarred slightly, by striking the end-plate, I, the arm, i will fall and the transverse pin, 1?, at its inner end, will enter the space at o. By another slight blow on the end-piece, d of the box, the sliding block, M, will slide forward, so that its end, m, will project over the end of the arm, i and prevent the latter from becontaining the same printed matter.

ing dropped out of its position in the space, 0', by turning the box upside down.

To use my improved device, the salesman writes on a check or slip of paper, the amount of the sale, together with such other signs or characters as may be necessary to identify the salesman. This slip or check, which may be shown to the customer, is then inserted through the notch,f, and falls into the deposit compartment. When the person who is duly authorized to remove the checks desires to open the box, he first takes off the thumb-nuts, h pulls out the end-plate, I, and removes the glass plate, G. In pulling out the end-plate, the transverse pin, 2' is drawn along beneath the overhanging lips, 0, the arm, i tearing the slip of paper, and thus destroying it. The rubber band is taken from the hooks and the base-plate removed, after which the partition-plate may be lifted out, thus giving access to the deposit compartment. A new slip of paper may be inserted and the parts replaced.

It is obvious that the seal-mechanism can, at any time, be seen through the glass-plate, G, and that, if an unauthorized person removes the end plate, the slip of paper will be destroyed. In order to identify the slips of paper when duly placed between the clampblocks, a memorandum is takenof the printed matter on both sides of the slip, and, as these slips are cut at random, from old newspapers, 850., there is but small chance of any two slips From this, it will be seen that a bogus slip cannot be substituted for one destroyed by improper opening of the box, without the detection of r the fraud. Moreover, the arm, cannot be moved from its proper position for engagement with the paper slip, owing to the overhanging end, m, of the sliding block, M, and any attempts to so move the arm, a, by overturning the box, will result merely in causing the stud, m to fall out of the hole, in the sliding-block, M, thus giving evidence of the factthat the box has been tampered with.

If desired, the box may be secured to the counter or desk in any suitable way.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sealing device for cash-registers, the combination, with a box having a seal-com partment and a deposit-compartment accessible only through the seal-compartment, of an end-plate closing the seal-compartment, a clamping-device within the seal-compartment and arranged to hold a strip of paper, and mechanism connected to the end-plate and arranged to tear the slip of paper, substantially as set forth.

2. In asealing device for cash-registers, the combination, with a box having a seal-compartment and a deposit compartment, accessible only through the seal-compartment, of a paper-holding clamp within the seal-comp artment, an end-plate for closing the sealcompartment, and an arm pivotally attached to the end-plate and projecting inward beyond the paper-holding clamp, substantially as set forth.

3. In a sealing device for cash-registers, the combination, with a box having a seal-compartment and adeposit compartment accessible only through the seal compartment, of a paper-holding clamp within the seal-compartment, an end-plate for closing the sealcompartment, an arm pivotally attached to the end-plate and projecting inward beyond the paper-holding clamp, and a sliding-block arranged to overhang the end of the pivoted arm, substantially as set forth.

4. In asealing device for cash-registers, the combination, with a box having a seal-compartment and a deposit compartment accessible only through the seal-compartment, of a paper-holding clamp within the seal-compartment, an end-plate for closing the seal-com.-

- partment, an arm pivotally attached to the with a hole through which the pin passes, and

a spring attached to the swinging arm and arranged to pull it to one side, when the pin is removed from the swinging arm,'substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES OLIVER BYRNS.

Witnesses:

LoUIs FEESER, J r., J. F. BRUGGEMANN. 

